A long-serving worker who has helped shape the face of Tavistock over almost 50 years has been treated to a splendid civic farewell.

A large gathering of current and former works colleagues, friends, and family, councillors and former mayors all gathered to thank Ian Lashbrook for 46 years of working for Tavistock Town Council – including 45 annual major work-intensive Goose Fairs.

Current town mayor Cllr Steve Hipsey made a speech paying tribute to the highly valued and knowledgeable carpenter and joiner in front of the assembled well-wishers at Tavistock Town Hall.

Cllr Hipsey presented the authority’s longest-serving employee with a mayoral mounted bespoke gold-coloured hammer and an engraved glass plaque on behalf of the whole council.

A specially baked cake was also ceremonially cut to mark the occasion. Ian, in turn, presented his now former bosses, Becky Rowe, works manager, and Wayne Southall, general manager, with gifts of appreciation.

Cllr Hipsey said Ian had a huge unrivalled reservoir of knowledge about the buildings and other structures in Tavistock and his loss to the council workforce would be hard to replace: “Ian’s service has been an amazing innings for the works department and the town. It is hard to say enough about this marvellous gentleman.”

He remembered meeting Ian at work for the first time: “I was on duty for the Lions seeing the events street bunting being strung up – and there was Ian in the council cherrypicker. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the buildings and must know every ring bolt in every building in Tavistock on which to fix lights, bunting and everything else.

“I thought that it must be a surprising thing for people living in the first floors of the flats in the town centre to suddenly see Ian’s face pop up as he fixed the lights and bunting on their flats.

“He is the only person trusted to use the cherrypicker and he has made it his own, including lighting the Pimple beacon for special occasions – who is going to do that now?"

Wayne said Ian had been a consistently excellent worker and a very good friend.

He told the gathering: “I have worked with Ian for 21 years and we developed a very strong working relationship over the years. I was particularly impressed by the way he stepped up to the demands of the first Goose Fair I was involved in. And that set the benchmark for the next 19 years. Ian is to be praised for his consistent work ethic and excellent standards, as well as being a very good friend. Ian was always ready to step up for tasks at work and outside work, for friends and colleagues.”

Becky said: “Ian has been a good friend and colleague for me. The works team will really miss him. I’m sure that he will remain a welcome presence throughout the town.”

She added that a tree and plaque honouring Ian’s contribution to the community would be ceremonially planted in the New Year in the Meadows park.

Major work by Ian included transporting the current skate park from Devonport by tractor and trailer, building bridges in Bannawell Park and over the canal, renovating the town hall external woodwork, demolishing the former Bannawell pool and building drystone walls.